US3221748A

US3221748A - Padded brassiere

Info

Publication number: US3221748A
Application number: US335511A
Authority: US
Inventors: Albert A Glasser
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-01-03
Filing date: 1964-01-03
Publication date: 1965-12-07
Anticipated expiration: 1982-12-07

Description

Dec. 7, 1965 A. A. GLASSER 3,221,748

PADDED BRASSIERE Filed Jan. 5, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- ALBA-ET AL 64:5:52

Dec. 7, 1965 A. A. GLASSER PADDED BRASSIERE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 5, 1964 INVENTOR.

4448527 A. GLflSSEE firraeusya.

United States Patent 3,221,748 PADDED BRASSIERE Albert A. Glasser, 12819 Morrison St., North Hollywood, Calif. Filed Jan. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 335,511 3 Claims. (Cl. 128-480) This invention relates to brassieres, and particularly to removable pads for brassieres.

In the past it has been common to provide pockets on the inner side of brassiere cups for removably accommodating a half pad. The breast tissue is thus pushed upwardly or laterally to achieve a desired form. For various reasons, the wearer of such a brassiere often desires to adjust the position of such pad in order to achieve a greater or lesser degree of uplift or a greater or lesser degree of lateral support. Yet this adjustment cannot be accomplished.

It has been proposed to utilize a series of fastener elements either on the pad or the brassiere cup selectively cooperable with a companion fastener element on the opposite member. This has not been successful because of the fact that only a few limited adjustments can be made whereas an infinite number of adjustments are desirable. Accordingly, the primary object of this invention is to provide a brassiere and pad combination in which the pad can be secured in any one of an infinite number of positions and in any one of an infinite number of angular orientations. A companion object of this invention is to provide a brassiere and pad combination of this character in which the detachable fastener elements do not in any way interfere with the comfortable use of the brassiere and in which repeated laundering does not interfere with the proper operation thereof.

In order to accomplish the foregoing objects, the inside layer of the brassiere cup is made of fabric having a substantial nap characteristic, and the inside of the pad carries the hooked Velcro or equivalent element. The nap is interlocked by the hooked element wherever the pad is positioned. The area of the nap which forms a fastener element when exposed beyond the pad is of course soft and comfortable.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of several embodiments of the invention. For this purpose, there are shown afew forms in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification, and which drawings, unless as otherwise indicated, are true scale. These forms will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a typical brassiere structure incorporating the present invention and taken from the inside thereof;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along a plane corresponding to line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a partial pad structure adapted to be afiixed to the brassiere;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along a plane corresponding to line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are elevational views similar to FIG. 3, illustrating modified pad structures; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken along a plane corresponding to line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

In FIG. 1 there is illustrated a brassiere structure 10 that may be of any desired form. In the present instance, the brassiere is of the strapless type, having bodyice encircling member 12 provided with two upwardly opening arcuate recesses 14 and 16 at which cup structures 18 and 20 are attached. The cup structures 18 and 20 may be of any desired form, except that the inner fabric layer, as at 22 (FIG. 2), is made of material having a substantial nap characteristic.

Cooperable respectively with the cup structures 18 and 20 are

detachable pads

24 and 26. One of the pads 24 is shown in FIG. 3. A description of one suffices as a description of the other.

The pad structure 24 may be of any desired shape. In the present instance it is shaped so as to fit a wide segment of the conical cup. The pad may be placed in the bottom of the cup, with the lower edge 28 of the pad substantially coincident with the lower edge of the cup structure 18 so as to form a shelf-like support for the breast. In the present instance, the pad 24 has a molded foam rubber filler 30 (FIG. 2) enclosed by a cover 32 of suitable soft fabric material.

Attached to the inside of the pad 24, that is, on that side opposed to the inner fabric 22 of the cup 18, is a fastener element 34. The fastener element 34 includes a fabric base 36 from which stiff hook-like elements 38 project. The base 36 from which the hook-like elements 38 project is available commercially under the trade name of Velcro.

The hook-like elements 38 are capable of inter-meshing with the nap of the fabric layer 22. Wherever the pad is placed in the cup, the nap is available to form a companion fastener element. Accordingly, it is possible, within limits, to position the pad 24 at any desired location and furthermore at any desired angular orientation to achieve any degree of uplift or lateral thrust. The possible positions of the pad 24 are, accordingly, virtually limitless, and the user may adjust the pad as desired. Furthermore, the inner layer 22 forming a fastener element cooperable with the fastener element 34 is itself homogeneous and capable of comfortable contact with the breast tissue. Accordingly, the pad 24 can be re moved and the brassiere structure used without any alteration in the brassiere structure.

In FIG. 5 there is illustrated a pad structure 40 that is adapted to occupy the major portion of a different brassiere cup. Attached to the inner side of the pad 40 are a number of

small fastener elements

42, 44, 46 and 48 capable of engaging the nap of the inner fabric layer of such brassiere and at widely spaced points, thus providing a firm anchorage of the pad 41) thereto. in other respects, the pad 40 is similar to the pad structure 24,

In FIGS. 6 and 7 other pad structures 50 and 52 are illustrated. It is possible to use any one of a number of different pad structures in conjunction with a single brassiere.

The pad structure 54 shown in FIG. 8 has a pair of

fastener elements

60 and 62 located on opposite sides of the pad. Located between each of the fastener elements is a stiffener or stay 64 (FIG, 9) in order to provide substantial reinforcement to the combined structure.

The inventor claims:

1. In a brassiere: a pair of breast cups; body encircling means for holding the breast cups in place upon the body of the wearer; said breast cups having a layer exposed on the inside of the cups made of material having a substantial nap characteristic; a pad for each cup adapted to be selectively positioned in the cup and having an inside surface; and a plurality of fastener elements having the characteristics of Velcro hooks and attached to the said inside surface of the pad and capable of interlocking the nap of said material for securing the pad at said selected position, said pad substantially overlying said fastener elements; said pad, when in any selected position, overlying only a part of said inside exposed layer.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said hook fastener elements are supported upon a plurality of fabric strips, the fabric strips in turn being attached to the inside surface of said pad in mutually spaced relationship, together with stiffener elements between the fabric strips and said pad.

3. In a brassiere: a pair of breast cups; body encircling means for holding the breast cups in place upon the body of the wearer; said breast cups each providing an inwardly exposed layer made of soft material having a substantial nap characteristic; and a pad for each cup; each pad having an inside surface substantially conformable to the corresponding cup contour, said pad having a small area relative to its cup to leave a substantial portion of said cup exposed for contact with the body of the wearer,

said pad being selectively positionable in its cup throughout substantially the entire area of the said cup; and a plurality of fastener elements having the characteristics of Velcro hooks attached to the inside surface of the pad for releasably engaging the nap of said material for detachably securing the pad in a selected position; said pad substantially overlying said fastener elements, said pad, when in any selected position, overlying only a part of said inwardly exposed layer.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,077,197 2/1963 Garfinkel 128-479 3,086,529 4/1963 Munz et al 1285l7 3,093,139 6/1963 Plehn 128--479 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A BRASSIERE: A PAIR OF BREAST CUPS; BODY ENCIRCLING MEANS FOR HOLDING THE BREAST CUPS IN PLACE UPON THE BODY OF THE WEARER; SAID BREAST CUPS HAVING A LAYER EXPOSED ON THE INSIDE THE CUPS MADE OF MATERIAL HAVING A SUBSTANTIAL NAP CHARACTERISTIC; A PAD FOR EACH CUP ADAPTED TO BE SELECTIVELY POSITIONED IN THE CUP AND HAVING AN INSIDE SURFACE; AND A PLURALITY OF FASTENER ELEMENTS HAVING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF VELCRO HOOKS AND ATTACHED TO THE SAID INSIDE SURFACE OF THE PAD AND CAPABLE OF INTERLOCKING THE NAP OF SAID MATERIAL FOR SECURING THE PAD AT SAID SELECTED POSITION, SAID PAD SUBSTANTIALLY OVERLYING SAID FASTENER ELEMENTS; SAID PAD, WHEN IN ANY SELECTED POSITION, OVERLYING ONLY A PART OF SAID INSIDE EXPOSED LAYER.